


Unexpectedly

by fonduelefou (IntoTheStardust)



Series: L'Anglais [1]
Category: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Background LeFou/Stanley, M/M, Tomick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 01:43:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10629567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntoTheStardust/pseuds/fonduelefou
Summary: Tom tries to give Stan some advice, but then it transforms into something unexpected (and much better)...





	

**Author's Note:**

> So...I goddamn love Tomick and no one can stop me i swear  
> This is set in a universe in which Richard (Dick) is originally from England, thanks to some anon headcanons I received over on my tumblr (same username)  
> If any mistakes are found, let me know :)  
> Enjoy!  
> (I will most definitely be posting more tomick soon) :)

“Right. Right, I can do this,” Stanley said confidently, earning him an encouraging slap on the back from Tom. “It’s not difficult, I just have to go up and talk to him, that’s all,”

“Exactly!” Tom said with a grin, “Go get ‘im!”

Stanley nodded and took a step towards LeFou, who was sat down at a table on the other side of the tavern. He pulled his shoulders back and raised his chin, trying to seem more sure of himself than he felt. His nerves mounted with every step he took, and he swallowed hard when LeFou glanced his way. He managed only a few more steps before he turned on his heel, practically running back the way he had come.

“Hey, what’re you doing?!” Tom chastised when he was within earshot, grabbing him by the shoulders and trying to push him back towards LeFou.

“I can’t do it, Tom,” Stanley groaned. “There’s so many people…”

“If they do or say anything they’ll have me and Dick to answer to,” Tom reminded him.

“I know, but—” Stanley began, but Tom cut him off.

“No, no buts,” Tom said firmly, “You’re going back out there and—”

Before he could say anything more, Stanley sank down in a chair, resting his arms on the table in front of him and laying his head down on top of his arms. He was the very picture of hopelessness. Tom sighed and pulled a chair over beside Stanley, sitting down and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Why is it so hard, Tom?” Stanley complained, voice muffled by the fabric of his shirtsleeves.

“I don’t know, Stan. It’s really not, though,” Tom answered.

“How would you know?” Stanley replied, turning his head to look at Tom.

Tom shrugged, “I don’t know. I just do.”

Stanley raised an eyebrow skeptically. Tom could tell that he didn’t believe him. He looked around the tavern for some form of inspiration that would help him come up with something to convince Stanley otherwise. His eyes landed on Dick, sitting at the bar and laughing merrily with a group of Englishman who had stopped in the village for the night. Tom couldn’t make out what they were saying, as the tavern was filled with its usual noise, but from the small snippets that he could hear he knew they were speaking in English. No wonder Dick looked so joyous, it had been months since the last time he had had a conversation in his native tongue. His French had improved drastically since first moving from England, but he still struggled on occasion. 

Tom looked back fondly on those first few months when he’d had to help Dick with every other word. Being one of the few residents of Villeneuve with any knowledge of English, Tom had taken it upon himself to help the other man. It had been a little tedious, sure, but seeing for himself as Dick’s proficiency in French increased by the day made it all worthwhile. That and the fact that the mistakes Dick made were often some of the funniest moments in Tom’s life.

Suddenly, an idea struck Tom. An idea that he’d put off for quite some time now, denying the thoughts that had created the idea in the first place. However, if it helped Stan overcome his apparent fear of even _speaking_ to LeFou, he was willing to put aside his own discomfort. 

“I’ll prove it to you,” Tom said suddenly, making up his mind.

“What?" Stanley asked, confused.

“I’ll prove that it’s easy,” Tom said.

“I don’t—” Stanley began, but Tom put up a finger to silence him.

Tom turned in his seat so that he was directly facing the bar. “Dick!” he called out, but the other man didn’t hear him. “Dick!” he tried again, louder this time, but still Dick didn’t respond. Tom cupped his hands around his mouth, “Richard!” Finally, Dick turned, searching to see who had called him. Tom waved him over, and Dick quickly excused himself from the Englishmen before making his way through the crowd to Tom and Stanley’s table.

“You called?” Dick asked, dragging a chair from another table and taking a seat beside Tom.

“Yeah, no need to sit down, though,” Tom said, “I wanted to ask if you’d like to dance?”

Dick furrowed his brow, “You mean like…together?”

“Yeah, together,” Tom confirmed. From the corner of his eye he could see a look of utmost surprise on Stanley’s face.

“When you say together,” Dick said, still confused, “do you mean together or _together_?”

Tom let out a small chuckle, realizing that the way he had worded it was probably confusing the Englishman.

“I mean _together_. Just you and me,” Tom clarified. Dick didn’t answer right away, still frowning at Tom, and Tom began to feel a little nervous. Perhaps he shouldn’t have asked.

“I mean,” Dick said after a while, “the music isn’t exactly waltzing material now, is it?” The joking manner in which Dick said it, a lopsided grin on his face, comforted Tom, a relieved laugh escaping his lips. 

“Right you are,” he agreed. “But if I were to ask them to play something different?”

“Then I’d be honoured,” Dick said with a soft smile.

Tom immediately rose from his seat, heading over to talk to the small group of musicians that provided the tavern with music.

“Did you know about this?” Dick asked, turning to Stanley.

Stanley shook his head, baffled, “I had no idea,” 

“I can’t believe…I mean, I hoped that he might feel the same way. I just never thought anything would come of it,” Dick admitted.

“Wait,” Stanley interjected. “How long have you felt this way towards him?”

Dick shrugged, “I don’t know…maybe a couple weeks after I arrived?”

Stanley raised an eyebrow, “And you didn’t tell me?”

Dick shrugged again, “As I said, I didn’t think anything would come of it. You didn’t tell us about LeFou until just recently, either,”

“Yeah but…that’s different,” Stanley grumbled, blushing.

Dick chuckled, then glanced over at Tom, who was still talking with the musicians, and became quite serious.

“Stanley?” he asked.

“Mm?” Stanley hummed.

“Does Tom feel the same way about me? Or is this dance just something he thought would be fun, between friends? I guess I just assumed—” Dick said, rushing his words.

“No, trust me, he’s got feelings for you,” Stanley interrupted. “Before he called you over he was trying to convince me that it would be an easy thing for me to speak to LeFou. Asking you to dance was him showing that if he could talk to the guy he has interest in, then I can do the same,”

“Did his plan work?” Dick asked.

Slowly, Stanley nodded, “I think…I think I’ll go over to talk to him when you and Tom have your dance,”

Dick took a deep breath, letting it out loudly, “Good plan. Everyone’s attention will be on us, you’ll have all the privacy you need,”

“You’ll be fine,” Stanley reassured, giving him a genial pat on the shoulder. “Pretty much everyone in here is drunk out of their minds, they won't care what anyone does,”

“Thanks, Stan,” Dick said with a grateful smile.

A moment later the music changed, switching to something more appropriate for dancing. Dick took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves as Tom walked over. 

“May I have this dance?” Tom asked with a grin as he stood in front of Dick, half-bowing and holding out his hand.

Dick let out a chuckle, smiling up at Tom. “Of course you may,” he replied, taking Tom’s hand and allowing himself to be pulled up from his seat. 

They walked hand in hand to an area of the tavern where a few couples were already dancing, tables having been moved aside to make some room when the music had changed. Tom and Dick could feel a few sets of eyes looking at them, but as Stanley had predicted most of the patrons were too drunk to either take notice or care about it if they did. There was a bit of confusion when they stopped and turned to each other, both moving to lead at the same time.

“Uh...how about you lead?” Tom said with a laugh. “You're taller so it might work better that way, I guess?”

“Alright. I gotta warn you, though, I'm not the best dancer,” Dick replied. 

Tom shrugged, “Neither am I, so at least we’re even,”

Dick cautiously placed his right hand on Tom’s back, just above his waist. When Tom nodded he continued, taking Tom’s right hand in his left. Tom raised his left hand and set it down on Dick’s right shoulder. 

Dick was relieved that he had been able to remember the positionings for such a dance, seeing as he hadn't actually danced with anyone in months—probably closer to a year now that he thought about it. 

The first steps they took were a little uncoordinated, and they both laughed as they tried to figure it out. After a short time they fell into a comfortable rhythm, understanding how the other moved, and all thoughts of being judged evaporated as their movements became synchronized with each other and they could focus on things other than their steps. Things like the way Tom smiled so completely, and how Dick’s usually tired eyes were full of bright energy. 

When Dick twirled Tom, both of them laughing joyously, Tom caught a glimpse of Stanley leaning against the bar and talking to LeFou, who seemed utterly enthralled by whatever Stan was saying to him. 

Tom’s smile widened even further. He felt as if nothing could ever dull his mood again, the happiness he felt so amazingly all encompassing, filling every particle of his being. He wished for nothing more than to live in that moment forever. Then the song stopped, and before he knew it Dick’s lips were pressed softly against his cheek. 

“Was that alright?” The taller man asked, pulling away to search Tom’s expression. 

Tom nodded with a soft smile. “That was completely alright. More than alright,” he said, then leaned forward and closed the gap between them, connecting their lips in a gentle kiss, catching Dick off guard. Dick didn't respond for a moment, surprised, but he quickly changed that, moving his hands to Tom’s back and pulling him closer. 

“Was that alright?” Tom asked when they parted, both breathing just a little heavier than usual. 

Dick nodded with a dopey grin, “More than alright.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ugggghhhhh rarepairs will be my death


End file.
